Footprints

by Budd Glassberg

Reprinted with permission from the Zionsville Times Sentinel on February 13, 2008

Rising to the Top

“Things are seldom what they seem,
Skim milk masquerades as cream.” - Sir William Schwenck Gilbert

Unless you want the butterfat to separate from the rest of the milk, you must homogenize the liquid. This is done by breaking up that fat into smaller sizes so that it no longer separates from the milk. Rather than having a thicker cream on top and a thinner liquid below, the homogenized product is the same throughout. Lately, I have been buying whole non-homogenized milk made from Trader’s Point Creamery which has some separation. I have enjoyed the outstanding taste of the dairy product as well as the change from the homogenized skim milk that I had been using for years.

The change in my dairy diet led me to think about the homogenization of America. Certainly the melting pot analogy has been an accurate depiction of many divergent cultures coming to this country and blending together in varying degrees of harmony to produce a culture unlike any the world has known. Television and modern communication devices have served to homogenize much of what used to be regional differences. Central heating and air conditioning have further served to homogenize our country’s climate such that our indoor climate might be the same for a person in Fairbanks, Alaska as one in Miami, Florida. What about our outside weather?

As a people, Americans do not spend very much time outside of buildings or vehicles. There are exceptions to be sure, but for the most part we tend not to dwell outside. Whenever I fly somewhere, I make a point to sit in a window seat and look out the window on takeoff and landing in hopes of seeing a person outside. It is a rare treat when I finally see someone walking or working outside. When walking to work, I am passed by hundreds of autos, but it is very unusual for me to see another person outside except perhaps going to or from their car. It does not matter what the weather is like. It seems to be too hot, too cold or too medium for Americans to be outside.

Despite our increasing tendency toward a homogenized norm, there are differences among members of our society that shine through the veil of sameness. I lived for three years in New England. The heartiness of the people there is palpable. For centuries their farmers have dealt with large rocks rising to the soil surface each year (explaining their many stone walls) as well as a hilly terrain to till. I lived for eight years in California where every day is much like the one before it. There was little to denote change of seasons. It was difficult to mark time there. After our first daughter was born there, my wife and I decided to move back to the Midwest where there was a stronger work ethic.

After California, it took a while to adjust to the scenery in the Midwest as well as colder and hotter weather. Despite television’s influence and a convergence of societal norms through convenient transportation and communication devices, the Midwest work ethic continues to exist and flourish. Even with most of our time spent indoors, the brutal changes in temperature promote a heartiness that cannot be denied. The climate perhaps is what has kept this region and others with extreme temperatures from becoming homogenized. The Southeast, Southwest and Pacific coast regions have had a population deluge from northern states which has served to dilute the regional traits of the prior inhabitants. In comparison, the northern regions have not seen anywhere near that growth of people moving from more temperate climates. As the milder climate regions become more homogenized, the Midwest and Northeast have kept more of their regional tendencies.

I like to listen to Click and Clack whose Car Talk radio show out of the Boston area is about as far from the typical California polished show as you can get. Their heavy Boston accents and their idiosyncratic clowning provide a pleasant alternative to the sameness of shows broadcast from many other parts of the country. The Prairie Home Companion radio show casts the tendencies of the Midwestern region in much the same way. I find the differences that these shows highlight are what make them so interesting. For custom’s sake I say, “Vive la difference.”

I am often asked why I left Santa Cruz, CA for Zionsville, IN. There is a time each spring, when a warm breeze and clear sky help me to realize that we all made it through another winter and are somehow stronger for the effort. After trying it both ways, I feel fortunate to be living back in the Midwest where I like to think the cream has separated from the rest of the milk and has risen to the top.

Budd Glassberg is a 23 year resident of Zionsville who works and volunteers in the community. Visit www.runz.com for reprints of all his columns. You can reach him by email at budd@runz.com.